Mechanism for weaving slat-blinds.



A. C. HOUGH.

MECHANISM FOR WEAVING SLAT BLINDS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1916.

Patented May15,1917.

:rms sa44 Pxamumu wAsmnr TNTTEB TATE PATTiN T @TTTQE AZEL CLARENCE HOUGH, OF JANES'VIIJLE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO I-IOUGH SI-IADE CORPORATION, 0F JANESVILLE, WISCQNSIN, A. CORPGRATION OF CONNECTICUT.

MECHANISM FOR WEAVING SLATBLINDS.

Application filed May 4,

To ZZ 107mm t viz/uy concern.'

Be it known that I, AZEL CLARENCE Honor-r, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Janesville, county of Rock, and State of Wisconsin, have invented an Tmprovement in Mechanism for Weaving Slat- Blinds, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

Tn the manufacture of shades, blinds, and the like, by using slats and weaving the same by a loom, it has been found very dif-licult, if not impossible, to effect as close or tight a woven screen as is desirable. In handling wooden slats in a weave of this type, the constant tendency of the slat, even when beaten up tightly, is to spring back a considerable distance as soon as the beatingup mechanism is retracted, the crossing of the warp cords or threads or even the twisting of the same being entirely insufficient to hold said slats in the close position to which they are beaten up by the reed or other mechanism. This difliculty was greatly accentuated when slats of considerable thickness, weight or length were being woven. In the case of a long slat with any slight irregularity or crookedness therein, the ends or center would often spring outwardly in an irregular manner at different points, still further opening the spaces between adjacent slats and rendering an objectionable product. The object of my invention is to obviate the diiiiculties above noted and to provide means, preferably automatic, which will enable a. close and tight weave of slats to be effected, further insuring uniformity of product throughout, and a close and tightwoven product. To this end I arrange mechanism which will practically take possession of each slat at the moment when it is under the limit of beating up pressure and, preferably, add to the normal beatingup pressure an additional pressure, thus combining two applications of force at the right moment to move the slat into tightly woven position and to hold the same where thus moved by said combined applications of pressure. The additional applying and holding mechanism further maintains such pressure upon the slat where it is thus beaten up until a second slat is woven into position, whereupon the 'additional mecha- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 191'?.

916. Serial N0. 95,476.

nism releases its hold upon the first slat woven,-such slat being already firmly held by the succeeding slat and the said mechanism tlien'operates on said succeeding slat in a like manner. Such additional mechanism, therefore, acts to hold, temporarily, a slat while it is being woven, into the final position to which the slat is driven by the beating-up mechanism, and to even force the slat farther into the fabric than it is forced by the beating up mechanism, if desired, preventing its springing backwardly or becoming loose in the weave while the beating-up mechanism is retracted and the next slat is forced into woven position. Furthermore, T contemplate the provision of such holding devices which will move in synchronism with the beating-up mechanism 'and then retain the slat in the farthest position to which it is forced, or further if desired, as explained above, engaging the slat during, and after, the linal beating-up actuation.

My improved mechanism enables as close and tight a weave to be secured as may be desired, depending upon the various degrees of power, which is preferably adjustable for the additional pressure-applying and Slat-retaining devices. A plurality of such devices may be utilized at different points throughout the length of the slat being woven when necessary. I find that, in actual practice, my invention enables a perfectly tight, uniform and closely woven screen to be produced, and one which will elfectually exclude vision, rain or the suns rays, whereas, formerly, it was practically impossible to weave such fabric tight enough to secure such results.

A further object of the invention is to provide such mechanism effecting a close and tight weave, as above described, which may be readily applicable to existing weaving looms, readily adapting such looms to the weaving of slats and enabling such looms to be equipped to carry out my invention in a practicable and economical manner.

It will also be appreciated that such tight weaving results in a longer life for the screen, holding the slats firm, preventing all end-chase or working of the slats longitudinally, and preventing wear 'between the slats and the cords.

In carrying out my invention, I employ yielding devices which will hold a slat under tension at the period of time when it has heretofore been entirely released from tension, such time being after the slat is beaten up and during the retraction of the beating-up apparatus. In fact, my improvement contemplates the constant control and handling of such a slat, under pressure, even greater than the beating-up pressure, if desired, and preferably coperating with the beating-up mechanism to insure a tight weaving of fabrics of this class.

Other advantages, important features, and novel details of construction will be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed.

Referring to the drawing illustrating, in a simple form, one method of carrying out my invention, it will be readily understood by those skilled in this art that my invention may be applied to many of the several types of looms now in general use for weaving slats, and for the sake of clearness I have omitted, from the drawing7 the complete loom mechanism. The mechanism is also readily applicable to the peculiar type of loom described in my prior Patent No. 764,290, dated July 5, 1904, reference to which is made for the construction of a slat weaving loom, although my present invention is not limited thereby.

I have illustrated a fragmentary portion of the woven blind showing an end view of the slats 1 and warp threads or cords 2 and 3, comprising a portion of the completed fabric, with the last slat 4 just positioned and a new slat 5 fed into the shed of the loom ready to be carried forward by the beating-up mechanism, comprising the reed 6 and lever 7. The warp threads 2 and 3 are shown in conventional form, carried by heddles 8 in the usual loom harnesses 9 and 10, and passing over the warp beam 11, as is usual. It' will be understood that a plurality of the warp threads 2 and 3, and heddles therefor in the loom harness, will be employed, of suitable number and width to weave the desired length of slats, one set only being shown in the drawings.

My invention contemplates the employment of any suitable means which will retain and hold the slat 4 in close juxtaposition to the adjacent slat 1 in the completed fabric, and preferably with a yielding pressure, while the loom harness is shifting and the warp threads 2 and 3 are being crossed or twisted, if desired, this being the timewhen the slat 4 is apt to spring backwardly, as above explained. As herein illustrated in a preferred form, a suitable mechanism comprises the arm 12 carrying a thin metallic hook 13, which arm is adjustably secured to the lever 14, arranged just above the woven shade, and with the hook 13 derstood that the plurality of such hooks 13 may be arranged at different points throughout the length of the slat 4, ordinarily one such hook adjacent each pair of the warp cords 2 and 3 being suiiicient. The hook 13 is of such thin metal that it will occupy a minimum of space between the meeting edges of adjacent slats and will not spread said slats materially, nor more than the thickness of the warp cords 2 and 3. The lever 14 is actuated substantially in a four-motion feed, the arm 12 and hook 1.3 being raised and moved backwardly or to the left, viewing the drawing, then downwardly to engage the outermost edge of the last Slat, then forwardly with the beating-up reed, when the next slat 5 is positioned, then repeating this action, the arm retaining its forward position until the beating-up reed has brought another slat as 5 against the previous slat 4.

To effect the movements just described, the lever 14 is pivoted near one end at 15 to a bell crank lever 16, which lever 16 is also pivoted at 17 to a fixed part of the loom. The other end of the lever 14 is forked as shown at 18, and straddles a stud 19, carried at one end of an arm 20, and secured to a rock shaft 21 pivoted on a bracket 22 mounted on a stationary part of the mechanism, and with the other arm 23 of said bell crank extending in the opposite direction, or to the right, viewing the drawing, and normally being raised upwardly by a coil spring 24, having its lower end secured to the arm 23 at 25 and its upper end secured to any fixed point in the loom. This arm 23 is also pivotally connected at 26 with a link 27 extending to a flexible connection 28 with a horizontal lever 29 pivoted at 30 to a bracket 31 carried on the loom frame and having a roll 32 in position to be acted upon by a cam 33 mounted on a shaft 34, as will be further described. The bell crank 16, carrying the forward portion of the lever 14, is normally under the tension of the coil spring 35, secured at 36 to the arm of the lever 16 and with its upper end attached to the machine frame.

A. link 37 is yieldingly connected at 38 by the spring 60 and adjusting nut 61 on the i projecting end of the link, as shown, to the bell crank 16 and with its lower end connected at 39 with a lever 40 having its opposite end pivoted at 41 to a support or bracket 42 and having a roll 43 mounted intermediate the end of the lever 40 in position to be operated upon and controlled by a cam 44, also mounted on the shaft 34.

In the construction just described, the cams 33 and 44 move their respective levers 29 and 40 in opposition to the springs 24 and 35 respectively, and are so timed and of suitable contour to effect the four-motion feed of the hook 13 above mentioned. After. the beating-up mechanism G has fed the new slat 5 forwardly, driving the same into its shed tightly against the next slat 4, the cam 44, operating in synchronism therewith, moves to depress the lever 40 and oscillate the bell crank lever 16, feeding the lever 14 to the right, and sliding the forked end 18 over the stud 19, this forward feeding movement being timed with the beating-up forward movement of the reed 6. The cam 44 then holds the lever 14 in this position during the retraction of the beating-up reed,

ith the hook 13 back of the last fed slat 5, which it is holding` in the extreme forward position to which it has been driven by the beating-up reed, while another slat has been forced into the shed firmly against the last slat, the cam 33 operates to release the lever 29 and permit the rockshaft 21 to be oscillated by the spring 24 thereby rocking the lever 14 on its pivot 15, raising the hook 13 from its holding engagement with the slat 4 and simultaneously therewith the cam 44 releases its lever 40, permitting the spring 35 to rock the bell crank lever 1G on its pivot 17 and swing the lever 14 to the left a suliicient distance slightly greater than the width of the slats being woven. When the cam 33 depresses its lever 29, it oscillates the rockshaft 21 and swings the lever 14 to again move the arm 12 and hook 13 downwardly into slat-engaging position. This movement takes place after the beating-up mechanism has fed another slat 5 into position, and simultaneously therewith the cam 44 rocks the lever' 40 to actuate the bell crank 16 and' move the lever 14 to the right, the depressions 45 and 46 in the cam rolls 33 and 44 respectively being formed and timed to effect this movement. The arrangement, timing' and size of the depressions 45 and 4G in the cam wheels are such that the action of said cams serves to maintain the lever 12 in its extreme forward position under the yielding tension of the spring 60 during the retraction of the beating-up reed, the feeding of a succeeding slat 5, and the beating-up of ysaid slat,A

whereupon the raising of the hook 13, retraction, depression and next succeeding forward movement of said hook on and against the slat 5 just fed, is an approximately simultaneous movement. This quick action thus engages the next slat and applies the additional pressure of the spring 60 upon said slat while the beating-up mechanism 7 is still holding the'new slat in its beaten-up position.

he mechanism thus described in a simple form, carries out the principle of my invention and enables a close and tightly woven screen or shade of slats to be secured, preventing the looseness in the weaving heretofore experienced in producing a tightly woven fabric. 1t will be appreciated that any desired degree of pressure may be applied through the spring 60 and adj usting nut 61 upon the holding arm 12, during the positive action of said cam. The yielding actuation of the lever by the springs 24 and 35 are preferably for the lever lifting and positioning movements. The arm 12 may be adjustably secured to the forward end of the lever 14 by bolts 47 and 48 passing through enlarged slots, as indicated in dotted lines. I have only shown one supporting roll 50 for the iinished fabric, but believe that details of the usual loom mechanism will be unnecessary to afford a clear understanding of the principle of my invention. 1 have, from actual experience, found that the automatic mechanism as above described, operates satisfactorily, runs smoothly, and without perceptible additional attention from the operator nor perceptible added power from the loomdriving mechanism and is readily applied to any of the slat weaving looms which are in present use.

My invention is further described and defined in the form of claims as follows:

1. Apparatus of the kind described, cornprising slat weaving and slat beating mechanism, in combination with additional auto'- matically actuated means to hold a partly woven slat closely adjacent the next preceding woven slat and to exert an additional tension thereon in the line of direction of said beating up mechanism.

2.` Apparatus of the kind described, comprising slat weaving and slat beating mechanism in combination with additional automatic means to move and hold a partly woven slat closely adjacent the next preceding woven slat.

3. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising slat weaving and slat beating mechanism adapted to beat up a slat during the weaving operation closely adjacent the next preceding woven slat and a plurality of pressure applying devices to exert tension in the line of direction of beating to retain a slat in its beaten up position.

4. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising slat weaving and slat beating mechanism adapted to beat up a slat during the weaving operation closely adjacent the next preceding woven slat and adjustable means to engage automatically the edge of a partly woven slat and hold the same in woven position with a yielding tension in the line of the direction oi beating during the retraction of the beating up mechanism, and the insertion and beating up of another slat.

5. Apparatus of the kind described, com-- prising slat weaving mechanism adapted to beat up a slat during the weaving operation closely adjacent the next preceding woven slat and adjustable means to engage auto-v matically the edge of a partly woven Slat, including a lever carrying a thin edge-engaging prong, and means to impart a fourmotion feed to said lever.

6. In a slat weaving mechanism of the kind described, means to beat up a slat into wovenposition and additional Slat-engaging means adapted to eoperate with said beating up mechanism and movable therewith in its beating up direction and to hold the slat just acted upon during retraction of the beating-up mechanism.

7. ln a slat weaving mechanism of the kind described, means to beat up a Slat into woven position and additional slat engaging means adapted to maintain a constant yielding pressure in the direction of the beating up means on the slat so beaten up during the retraction of the beating up mechanism and the beating up of a succeeding slat.

8. In a slat weaving mechanism of the kind described, means to weave a fabric comprising the warp cords and woof slats and additional means adapted to operate on said slats during the weaving operation, said additional means consisting in a Slat-engaging arm having a thin hook, a lever carrying said arm, yielding means adapted to exert a constant tension on the said hook and sla-t to apply pressure to said slat to effect a tight weaving and means including a rotating cam to release said pressure, and retract the hook to engage a succeeding slat.

9. In a slat weaving mechanism of the kind described, means to weave a fabric -comprising the warp cords and Woof slats and additional means adapted to operate on said slats during the weaving operation, said additional means consisting in a slatengaging arm having a thin hook, a bellcrank lever to which said arm is pivoted, a link adapted to move said bell crank lever through a yielding connection, and a revolving cam arranged to depress said link, and to momentarily release the same, a spring coperating with said cam to return the bell-crank lever to normal position when released, a rockshaft connected with said arm and adapted to oscillate it at timed intervals on the pivotal connection of said arm with the bell-crank lever, whereby said lever is moved forwardly to engage a slat and hold the same under tension, then raised out of Slat-engaging position, retracted and depressed for the next 'forward Slat-engaging movement.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AZEL CLARENCE HOUGH.

Witnesses:

META E. ALWARDT, MARY E. STEVENS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

It is hereby certied that in Letters Patent No. 1,225,815, granted May 15, 1917,

upon the application of Azel Clarence Hough, of Janesville, Wisconsin, for an improvement in Mechanism for Weaving Slat-Blinds, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 4, line 61, claim 9, for

the Word lever read arm; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of July, A. D., 1917.

[smi/114.] F. WV. H. CLAY,

Act/ng Commissioner of Patente. Cl. 139-32. 

